The Art of Revenge
by Master Maple
Summary: Neo is left to drift on the wind, helpless and alone. It brings back unpleasant memories of the day she met Roman Torchwick, the crook who saved her life... And taught her the art of revenge. My entry for r/RWBY MonCon. Character: Neo Theme: Revenge
Neo could only hang on for dear life, and pray.

The howling storm buffeted her back and forth, snatching at her jacket with insistent hands as she was tossed about like a cork on a rough sea. She glanced behind her, or at least where she _presumed_ the airship to be, but saw nothing. Torchwick was probably still fighting with that Rose girl. Neo felt her gut churn with fear.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid. She should've killed the girl straightaway, stomped on her fingers, or slit her throat before she'd had a chance to reach for the parasol_.

What if Torchwick was fighting her _right now_? She'd beaten him before, she could beat him again. What if- No. No one could beat Roman, not since the day she'd first met him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a strong gust of wind threatened to rip the parasol from her hands. She cried out in fear and clung tightly to the handle of her weapon, panicked thoughts flashing through her mind. Her arms began to tremble, burning from the effort of holding on to the one thing keeping her aloft.

Neo hung on a little more tightly, and prayed a little more fervently.

And then it all came rushing back. The darkness, the pain, the crushing sense of helplessness… It was just like the day she'd first met him.

* * *

The ropes bit into Neo's wrists as she sagged forward, making her hiss in pain and drawing tears to her eyes. She did her best to blink them away and fought to stay on her feet. She would not cry out. She'd promised herself that. She wouldn't give the rat-faced man the satisfaction.

But soon her legs began to tremble with the effort, hurting like fire as faint trickles of blood still wept from the latticework of fresh cuts along her thighs. She had at least been lucky that Rat-Face and his friends had used the clean, smooth knife instead of the jagged one. She cringed involuntarily at the memory of the searing agony as steel ripped into her, the grinning laughter of ratface and his masked "special guests". She remembered how it had felt as they placed bids over what he should do to her next, the mocking jeers…

 _No_. No, she would not cry. She refused. She'd think happy thoughts. One day she'd break free of her bonds. Rat-face would forget to trim her fingernails, tie them just a bit too loose, and she'd slowly saw back and forth, back and forth until she was free. And then she'd free Miltia and Melanie, and they'd find Rat-Face sleeping in his room, and see how _he_ liked the knife for "special occasions". And then-

 _Creeeeak_.

The rusty wooden door opened with a howl as the ancient brass hinges protested, letting a shaft of light into the room that blinded Neo, left her seeing stars. She heard the familiar _thump_ of boots on stone, and felt herself begin to tremble. She scowled and grit her teeth, trying to keep still, but the effort was too much for her. She let out a faint whimper as she felt her knees start to buckle, then screamed as her open wounds brushed against the rough stone. She would have followed it up with a curse, but whatever he'd done to her throat when she'd been taken here had stripped her of her words. She settled for a venomous glare.

 _Back off_. _I'll cut your throat someday, you skinny prick._

But behind the glare she knew she still had the eyes of a scared child. She was tired of being alone and helpless. But she wouldn't break down, not while he could still see her.

What Neo couldn't say, Melanie and Miltia more than made up for, cussing him out in near-perfect unison. She heard him growl in frustration, then came two quick, thunderous _slaps_ in the darkness. She heard one of them cry out.

" _Anything else to say_?"

There was a dangerous note in his voice this time. He rarely spoke to them other than to give commands and insult them. Neo did her best to look small and insignificant.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, she heard Melanie spit. Miltia cried out in horror. Rat-Face yanked Melanie forward by her hair, into the light shining from the doorway. She locked eyes with him.

"You have big ears." She spit once more. This time in his face.

Rat-Face drew back and roared in anger. He moved to fetch a blow that would surely have knocked the recalcitrant twin unconscious, but then something cut through his rage.

It was laughter.

Neo was laughing so hard she could barely _breathe_. The fact that Melanie had taken such risks to defy him, and then delivered that one schoolyard insult after a torrent of profanity, and the look on his _face_. She laughed uncontrollably, an element of fear taking shape behind it. What would they _do_ to her? Rat-face was angrier than she'd ever seen him.

 _Shut up. Shut up, now._

She clammed up at the warning from the sensible part of her brain, amusement replaced by cold terror. He stepped forward, closer and closer. He took the barbed whip from its usual place on his hip, made it crack threateningly as he approached. Neo waited for the pain. She would not scream. She _could not_ scream.

And then she heard a deafening _boom_ , and the sound of splintering wood. A voice called out:

"Vale Police! Come out with your hands in the air!"

Rat-face whirled around and ran out to see what was happening. She could hear the sounds of fighting, grunts of pain, shattering glass and breaking wood. She heard a roar that seemed more like a bear than a man, and she saw one of the masked guests fly past the open doorway. There was a loud _crack_ as he hit a wall, and then a _thump_ as he fell to the ground.

Suddenly, Rat-Face was back again, this time with the man with the broken nose who so enjoyed using that fancy knife of his. Both of them looked panicked, and Neo took a moment to savor their pale, drawn expressions. They were running scared.

 _I warned you, you bastard_.

Broken Nose advanced on Melanie, gripping her by the throat with one hand as he sawed through the ropes with the other.

"There's still time!" he growled. "Bogg can hold 'em off, let's at least grab one!"

Rat-Face shook his head.

"Too late!" He spat, and quickly sprinted through the side door that led to the storage areas. She heard the sound of shattering glass.

Broken Nose swore and kept hacking away at the ropes. Miltia cried out for her sister, but he silenced her with a punch that rocked her head back. He swore under his breath as he slashed at the fraying strands, but his curses died on his lips at the sound of a quiet _tap-tapping_ as an unfamiliar voice filled the room.

"Show a bit of _class_. There are ladies present."

The voice was sneering, sarcastic, filled with rage and venom. It would have sent most sane, law-abiding folk either running or handing over their wallets if they ever chanced to hear it in a dark alley.

It was the most reassuring thing Neo had ever heard. She found herself grinning broadly as the figure made his way down the steps.

She could only make out his silhouette. He was tall, a waistcoat of some kind billowing behind him. He tapped his cane against the stone floor as he moved, reaching up with one hand to adjust the bowler hat on his head.

Broken Nose stumbled back a bit, but eventually he got up the nerve to rush the newcomer with his knife.

The man moved like a blur, bringing up his cane to catch Broken Nose's wrist with the hooked end. He twisted it behind his back, and Neo heard Broken Nose shriek as something in his wrist snappped. The newcomer cut off his squealing by sending him flying backwards. Towards Neo. She grinned savagely as he approached, then leapt up with all her strength (admittedly not much) and kicked him between the legs with both feet. Broken Nose made a sort of cross between an _oof_ and a whimper as he sank to his knees.

The man in the bowler hat glanced at her in surprise for a moment, then dashed out of the room in pursuit of Rat Face. Neo was stunned. Broken Nose wasn't down yet. Why would the stranger leave?

Her question was answered a few seconds later as a huge figure came barreling into the room with a shout that confirmed he was the source of the roar from earlier, and teed off on Broken Nose's head with the biggest baseball bat Neo had ever seen. Broken Nose slammed into the floor, and the sickening _crunch_ that followed told Neo that his nickname had just gotten a bit more appropriate.

For a moment the man stayed like that, looming over the fallen torturer like a mountain. Then he turned to investigate the room. His eyes lingered on Miltia, and he let out a sharp _huh_ as his head jerked back.

Suddenly there came a howl of rage as Melanie broke free of her restraints and lunged at the hulking figure before her.

"Get away! Get away!" she cried, trying to tackle him.

The man froze in surprise for a moment, then stepped forward and swept her up into his arms, stepping away from Miltia.

"It's okay." He growled. "I'm not gonna hurt you. You girls are safe now."

From the sound of it, Melanie was unconvinced.

"Let me go! Let me go right now! _Miltia!_ "

The man shrugged his massive shoulders and released her. "Okay, okay. I'll let you go. I'm backing away. See?" Melanie broke down sobbing as she untied her sister. Junior took a cautious step forward, freezing when Miltia hurled herself in front of her sister, at the exact moment Melanie tried to do the same. They wound up holding each other, glaring defiantly at the giant.

If he'd looked confused before, he looked absolutely baffled now. He slowly dropped to one knee and held out a cautious paw. "It's alright… _Miltia_ , is it? It's alright Miltia. I won't hurt you, or your sister. My name's Junior, and I'm gonna watch your back, alright? Promise."

Miltia crept forward, holding out a trembling hand to Junior, who gently took it. "You're alright. You're okay. I promise- _oof_." He was interrupted as Miltia hurled herself towards him and wrapped her arms around him. Melanie crept forward and did the same. Junior sat, spellbound, then quietly wrapped one massive arm around them.

Neo stamped her foot impatiently, ignoring the pain.

 _Hey, you big, dumb ox. I'm here too._

Junior looked slightly embarrassed as Melanie came running over and untied the knots, sending Neo sprawling to the floor. Melanie hurried back to Junior as Neo stared at Broken Nose, lying in a pool of his own blood. Neo grinned as she realized he wasn't breathing.

 _There's one down._

But then she looked over where Rat Face had presumably fled, with the stranger in pursuit.

 _The stranger…_

If he was able to take down Broken Nose so easily, he'd no doubt be kicking Rat Face's ass right now. And she wanted to look him in the eye when he died.

 _Even if I'd probably need a stepladder to do it._

She got to her feet, rubbing the rope-burns on her wrists. Her knees trembled, but she stayed standing. She winced as she took her first cautious steps forwards, but she managed to work herself up to a painful jog. She ran out of the cellar, heedless of Junior's warning shout behind her. If she hurried, she might get a few kicks in.

She did her best to jump through the broken window, although the glass still cut at the soles of her feet. She leapt into the alley, eyes wide with excitement.

 _Empty_.

Neo felt as if the floor had been pulled out from under her. She was standing all alone. The alley was silent save for the howling wind. It was snowing outside, cold winds whipping up frost as snow came down, cooling the agony of the sores on her legs and feet. Neo looked out into the storm and felt a string of profane thoughts run through her head. No Rat-Face. No mystery man. For the third time that day, she felt like crying.

" _Damn_."

Her ears perked up at the sound of the familiar voice. She stumbled towards it, and as the wind abated slightly she saw him standing at the mouth of the alley with his back turned to her, staring out at the street.

She had the chance to get a better look at him in the daylight. He wore a pristine white suit jacket with dark slacks and a pair of black leather gloves. She saw now that he had red hair, tucked under a black felt bowler hat. He leaned on his cane, a puff of smoke rising into the winter air as he chewed on a cigar.

Without warning, he started forward and quickly turned the corner, leaving her in the alley. He hadn't even noticed her standing there. Neo huffed and prepared to follow him, then paused and glanced back to the club.

That man named Junior was still inside. Maybe he could take care of her? He seemed nice. Or maybe she would go to a foster family. A nice, safe home, with a mother and father who cared about her. But then she remembered Rat Face's "special guests".

They had worn masks to hide their faces, and she had only voice and dress to go on. But one thing that always stuck out was how o _rdinary_ they were. They didn't dress in black robes and cackle maniacally. They dressed and spoke like ordinary people. They could have been anyone. What if the police hadn't arrested all of them? What if they volunteered, smiling, to take in that poor orphan girl from that _dreadful_ establishment they'd read about in the papers?

She couldn't trust them. She couldn't trust _anyone_ , except for the redheaded man in the suit. She had seen him beat Broken Nose to a pulp. She had heard the contempt and anger in his voice, and it felt _real_. She knew that whatever else he might be, he didn't seem to be a fan of torturing kids. And something about him captivated her.

She wrapped her threadbare dress a little tighter around herself and staggered after him.

As she left the alley, she saw the red-and-blue lights of a whole fleet of police cars parked outside the dungeon. She saw the cops moving around, but there were other men there, in black suits with red sunglasses. A few of them were pouring what looked like gasoline of some kind down the front steps. She saw the big man- Junior- in discussion with a cop who seemed to be wearing a fancier suit than the rest. He turned to Miltia and Melanie, huddled together in the snow, and asked them something. They nodded slowly. Junior turned back to the cop in the fancy uniform and shook hands. Neo saw Junior discretely slip a sheaf of Lien cards into the man's pocket. No Mystery Man.

She turned in the other direction, seeing an empty street with a parking lot off to one side. She paused for a moment, then heard the sound of shattering glass. An alarm _beeped_ and shut off as quickly as it had begun. Neo struggled towards the lot, feeling the winter air nip at her legs.

She found the Mystery Man with his arm halfway through the driver's side window of a car that was _definitely_ not his. She took a few more cautious steps towards him, then slipped on a patch of ice. She cried out as she slammed into the concrete.

The Mystery Man whirled around, still rummaging in the car. His eyebrow raised a fraction as he saw her huddled in the snow.

"It's not what it looks like, kid. I just locked my keys in there."

Neo rolled her eyes.

 _I might be small but I'm not stupid._

Roman heaved a sigh and removed his arm from the shattered window. "Look, kid. I don't know what you're following me around for, but you won't get it."

Neo just looked back at him and started to haul herself back to her feet. Roman growled, irritated. "Kid, I don't rescue street rats, okay? I'm a _thief_. A liar. A crook. A scumbag, although I dress much more nicely than the average thug." He protectively touched the brim of his hat as Neo advanced towards him. He seemed slightly bewildered.

"Kid, I _just told you_ that I'm _not_ the hero here. Those nice policemen back there? They're the heroes. Alright? Get it through your skull. The only good thing I can do is teach you how to rob banks." To Neo, robbing banks seemed like a fine way to make money. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together in the gesture for cash.

The mystery man laughed. "Kid, I'll give you this; you're persistent. But I'm not some fine, upstanding citizen. I'm a _criminal_ , with a capital C. Is the name _Roman Torchwick_ ringing any bells?" Neo shook her head. The stranger- Roman, sighed and tucked his cane under his arm.

"Look, I'm not even gonna bother anymore. I'm leaving. You can go back that way, or you can try and make a go of it on the streets. It doesn't matter to me. Good luck." He turned and hopped into the car, doing something with the wiring. The car growled and the engine began to sputter to life. Neo looked at Torchwick, tall and confident, not even glancing at her. A thief. A crook.

The only trustworthy adult she knew.

She got to her feet and _ran_.

* * *

To his credit, Torchwick kept his word and didn't look back. In fact, he didn't even notice the young girl curled up in the backseat until he'd pulled into his driveway.

" _Son of a bitch_!" He shouted, noticing the young stray. Her eyes snapped open at his outburst. For a moment there was fear, absolute fear, and some small part of Torchwick told him to hug her and carry her inside and look after her. That part was overrun when her fear faded and she looked up at him with the most cocky, infuriating smile.

Roman turned around, his hands on his cane. "You just won't leave me alone, will you? Alright, get out. Come on, scoot!" He flung open the driver's side door and started walking towards his front door. He heard Neo hop out of the car behind him, and for a moment there was the sound of tiny footsteps mimicking his own. He'd reached his doorstep before he realized that her footsteps had faded.

He glanced over his shoulder. Nothing. Had she run off? "Kid, where'd you-"

There came a squeak of pain, and Torchwick finally noticed the tiny figure clawing her way up the driveway. Her legs had given out, and no wonder- Torchwick could finally see the true extent of her wounds, how they left a slick of blood on the snow as she crawled- _crawled_ \- after him. She made it a few yards further before she collapsed in a shivering heap. Torchwick jogged over to her.

She glanced up at him, tears mingling with the misty, pained look in her eyes, biting the knuckles of one hand to hold back her sobs. She looked up at him with a pleading expression that threatened to melt his stony heart.

 _I can be tough. Look, I'm not making a fuss, see?_

She tried with shaking knees to get back on her feet. For a moment it looked like she'd be successful, but as he approached the strength went out of her and she fell with a soft grunt of pain. She tried to stand again, but fell flat on her face in the snow. She balled her hands tightly into fists and cried out in wordless rage at her weakness.

And that was it. Torchwick didn't know what came over him, but he scooped her up in his arms, certain that the blood would _ruin_ his suit but for whatever reason he didn't care about that right now. And suddenly he was unlocking his front door, stepping into the entrance hall, muttering things so saccharine that they would normally have made him sick to his stomach. He closed the door behind him, flicked on the light, and for a moment they just looked one another in the eye.

"What's your name?" he said, and for reasons he would never understand, the little waif threw her arms around him and started to bawl.

* * *

Neo drifted further away on the winds, jerked out of her reverie by the _screech_ of a griffon as it passed too close for comfort.

Come to think of it, _all_ the griffons she could see were looking right at her.

 _Oh shit_. _Think positive. Think positive._ Neo closed her eyes in the midst of the howling storm, and tried to think of another memory.

 _The day he gave me my parasol_.

No, that wouldn't do. It would just remind her of her present situation, leaving Roman behind while the gusts of wind sent her-

 _Screeeech_

Somewhere _pleasant_. Somewhere _warm_ and _comfy_ with _ice cream_ and lots of banks to rob, and some dumb muscle she could beat up on. Yeah, somewhere _nice and peaceful_.

 _Now if only she could think of a good memory._

 _When he gave me a hug after I had nightmares?_

 _No. The nightmares would only serve to remind her of the dungeon. Melanie and Miltia._

 _And Rat-Face._

Neo grinned slyly at the memory of that name. She knew _exactly_ what to focus on.

 _The day Roman taught me about revenge._

* * *

She didn't know why Roman had insisted on dragging her all the way out to this disused old warehouse. And on her _birthday,_ of all days. She had no idea what had gotten him so excited, but he'd seemed to treat everything before this- the new dress he'd bought her, the new parasol with the special blade in the hilt, and the promise of all the ice cream cake she wanted for the next three days- as a sideshow. This was the main event.

She moved hand in hand with him as they approached the entrance, the disused building surrounded on all sides by rusting shipping containers and a crumbling industrial park. "You'll enjoy this" Torchwick promised, seeing her skeptical expression. "It'll be _educational_ , too." He winked. Neo huffed and rolled her eyes. What passed for homeschooling was probably her least favorite part of living with Roman, even if it was learning how to split the take from a robbery or understand the fine print on those fancy court documents. She preferred to be out on the job with him, learning how to run a criminal empire.

One day _she'd_ be the boss. Roman had told her so.

The door opened with a squeal of tortured hinges. Roman paused and waved her through, doffing his hat. "Ladies first." Neo stuck out her tongue and made a sound of derision, but she went first anyway, reaching out for his pocket as she brushed past him. Her fingers touched his wallet- or was it his lighter? If she could lift something from his pockets, she could win their little bet.

 _Almost there_ …

His hand closed around her wrist, dashing her hopes, but he chuckled anyway as he guided her into the disused office space. "Nice try kid, but you'll have to improve a _lot_ if you want to pick _this_ pocket." Neo scowled as he led her towards another door at the end of the long rows of cubicles. There was a desk with a coffee maker and a comfy armchair sat beside the door, and she could see that someone had installed one of those pet flaps in the doorframe. She cocked her head and looked up at Roman, confused. She stuck her hands up like ears and made barking motions.

 _Is it a puppy?_

Roman shook his head, and suddenly grew serious. He pulled her closer and knelt so he was eye-to-eye with her.

"Neo, did I ever tell you the story of the boys who took my sleeping bag?"

She paused and shook her head. _Where is he going with this?_

"Well" Roman continued, "When I was just a handsome young street-rat, much like yourself, I made the unwise decision to sleep for the night in a place called Treaver's Alley. It was warm, and safe from the cops and the roving stray dogs. What I didn't know was that two much bigger boys had already staked a claim on it. And they weren't in a sharing mood." His eyes got a faraway look as he got lost in the memories.

"So, as I lay curled up in a sleeping bag I'd pilfered the day before, the two rodents snuck up on me and started to beat me. One had a pipe of some sort, the other one just started kicking me. Stupid kid that I was, at first I cried and begged them to stop, told them that I was _sorry_. That we could be _friends_." He chuckled darkly and shook his head.

"Not a chance. They just kept beating me, for almost an hour, until, battered and bloody, I wriggled out of my sleeping bag and crawled away into the darkness with nothing but the clothes on my back. I had been poor before. Now I was wounded and starving, without any lien to my name. Those boys tormented me, and turned me into the loveable cynic you see before you. I grew to be fast and strong. Stronger than them. But still they tormented me, gave me nightmares of being trapped in that bag, barely able to breathe because of my broken ribs. So, one night, I swiped a cane from some cloakroom or other and went back to Treaver's Alley. And wouldn't you know it, they were _still there_. They'd made quite the little home for themselves."

He gripped Neo's shoulders tightly, emphasizing the point. "And now it was my turn to sneak up on them while they slept huddled together in my trusty old sleeping bag. My turn to beat them into a pulp while they lay blind and helpless. My turn to keep mercilessly striking them as they whimpered and promised me _anything_ if I'd just go away. And whatever they asked me, however they pleaded, I only ever said two words; _crawl away_." He grinned and pulled a cigar from his breast pocket.

"And they did. They dragged themselves out of the bag and crawled away into the darkness. I beat that sleeping bag until it was just a bundle of tattered rags, and then tossed it into the harbor. And you know what? I've never had another nightmare since then. I hadn't even thought of those boys until a few days ago, when I got a lucky break- and the _perfect_ idea for your present."

He put an arm around her and pulled her so that they were shoulder-to-shoulder. "You see Neo" he whispered "All those people who say revenge doesn't solve anything are full of it. Revenge solves _everything_ … If you know how to do it properly."

Her hand inched towards his pocket. He slapped it away without even looking.

"See, revenge isn't just inflicting pain on someone else to spite them. Revenge is tearing someone down completely, crushing them, making sure that they don't just feel _pain_. Pain's insubstantial. You can get over it. At the end of the day, the only difference between stubbing your toe and having your arm chopped off is how much time it takes for it to scab over and fade into memory. What matters are the _feelings_. When you make them feel terror, or shame, or regret, and at that moment, when they feel _everything_ they've inflicted on you without you having to lay a mark on them, you look them in the eye, and you let them know, you let _yourself_ know, that they are completely helpless. You could do whatever you liked to them, and they wouldn't be able to do a thing. That's more than just turning the tables. That's making them lower than _dirt_. You understand?"

Neo nodded a reply, filled with curiosity as to what could possibly be waiting beyond that door. But she locked eyes with him, patiently looking back to let him know: _yes, I understand. And I'll remember_. Torchwick nodded, satisfied.

"I know you will. Now… Care to step through the door?" Neo cautiously approached it, Roman taking the lead as it swung open to reveal-

A big, empty warehouse full of boxes and crates. Neo turned to glare. _If this is your idea of a joke_ -

And then Torchwick flicked a switch, and it was with a loud _click_ that a spotlight switched on, bathing a small clearing amidst the boxes in a pool of white light. And illuminated by the artificial glare-

 _Rat-face._

She staggered back a pace, feeling as if she'd been punched in the stomach. But suddenly Torchwick's hand was on her shoulder, keeping her steady. She reeled and looked up at him.

"We caught him." Torchwick muttered, rolling the cigar back and forth between his fingers. "Just a few weeks ago. At first I was going to have a big party, maybe invite Junior and his boys round to have some fun with this guy. But then your nightmares started up again, and I figured I'd give you a chance to work through your demons. If you want, we can turn around and walk right out that door, and he'll be trussed up in a sack and dumped in the river. Hell, I'll give you his head in a box with a neat little bow on it if you want. But I think you've got the guts to stand up to him now. And it's high time you got your revenge."

He pointed back towards the door, and Neo saw there was a little cot next to it, along with a notepad and pen. "I'll be waiting right outside. If you want to sleep, there's some earplugs under the pillow. If you want food or water, just write it on a note and pass it through the flap and I'll have some of my guys fetch whatever it is you need. Once you leave this room, he'll be put in a sack and thrown in the river, dead or alive, except for _certain parts_ that will be left as warnings for any of his type who want to come sniffing around in Vale. Until then, he's _yours_ to do with as you will."

He walked back towards the door and turned to her. "Take all the time you need."

The door slammed shut with a loud _boom_ that echoed through the empty stacks of crates. Then there was silence, save for Rat Face's panicked breathing. Neo cautiously stepped towards him, the _clack_ of her heels slicing through the stillness. As she approached she could see him trembling through his threadbare rags.

Neo took a deep breath, sizing him up, then stepped into the light and paced a slow circle around him. He flinched at every step. Finally, she came to a stop, eye to eye with her old tormenter. He shivered and muttered an obscenity. Neo calmly removed one glove and struck him across the face with the back of her hand. He flinched, and as his head whipped back around to face her she saw the old, familiar anger give way to fear and helplessness. He was exhausted and alone, with no one to help him, and she knew that he had broken.

Slowly, she reached down, turned the handle of her parasol, and when she felt it _click_ , she drew the blade in the handle, making sure to let the steel rasp as she slowly pulled out the blade. Finally, she stood there, the naked steel glinting in the cold industrial light. His eyes went wide with fear and Neo smiled. Soon he would know how it felt to go under the knife for a "special occasion". It was her birthday, after all.

Quick as a flash, she drew back the blade and struck. Rat-Face howled in agony. Neo smiled wider. She felt ten feet tall. This would be the end of her nightmares. His were only just beginning.

 _Revenge. It really did solve everything._

* * *

 _The room where the Torchwick girl held court was silent as a tomb._

 _None dared raise so much as a whisper unless she looked at them or otherwise motioned them to speak. She commanded fear and respect. Just like the man whose bowler hat she wore, whose cane she carried along with her parasol. Her ever-changing eyes were filled with an aura of cold command. The ticking of the clock was the only sound that filled the room as the man with the gaudy bow-tie stood before her, hands clasped in front of him as he waited for her verdict. Another vassal. Another person to call her boss, just like Roman had predicted._

 _He'd offered her whatever services he could provide in exchange for the lucrative work she was offering. The girl cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, letting him stew for a moment more._

 _Then she turned and jabbed with her parasol at the words she'd first carved into the wall when she'd appeared with Roman's bowler hat and cane and forced the lesser gangsters of Vale to accept her as their bandit queen._

 _Bold words, and simple, filled with the promise of revenge,_ _ **true**_ _revenge, just like Roman had taught her. A total victory. Crushing her foe into the dirt. Making her feel the same pain and helplessness Neo had felt when she'd landed, and found the closest thing she had to a father gone._

 _The words were simple. But they were laced with the threat of a pain unimaginable:_

 _ **Find Ruby Rose**_


End file.
